Application of binding adhesive to pages passing through a printer

Abstract

A printing device includes an adhesive applicator for the application of a strip of adhesive to one or both sides of pages of paper adjacent an edge to be bound. A pinch roller drives the page past a print head which prints text and/or images onto the page. The adhesive applicator is situated adjacent the print head and applies the adhesive strip(s) to the pages as they move past the print head.

I claim:  
     
       1. An apparatus comprising: 
       a page conveying path adapted for unstacked pages to be conveyed therealong so that each page, while being conveyed along the entire path, has only one edge which constitutes a leading edge and only one edge which constitutes a trailing edge,  
       two print heads located one at each side of, and adjacent, the path for printing on pages moving along the path, and  
       at least one adhesive applicator to apply binding adhesive to said pages moving along the path.  
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising a pair of pinch rollers for driving said pages along the path. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the print heads are located downstream of the pinch rollers. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive applicator is located downstream of the print heads. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive applicator is located upstream of the print heads. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each print head is a pagewidth print head. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each print head is an ink jet print head configured for applying droplets of ink to the pages on demand. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the at least one adhesive applicator is positioned so as not to contact the pages as they move along the path. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive applicator is configured to apply an adhesive strip adjacent the leading edge of each page. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive applicator is configured to apply an adhesive strip adjacent the trailing edge of each page. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the adhesive applicator is integral with the print heads. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus comprising: 
       a page conveying path adapted for unstacked pages to be conveyed therealong so that each page, while being conveyed along the entire path, has only one edge which constitutes a leading edge and only one edge which constitutes a trailing edge,  
       a print head located adjacent the path for printing on pages moving along the path, and  
       two adhesive applicators, one at each side of the path, to apply binding adhesive to said pages moving along the path.  
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said adhesive is a two-part adhesive, and wherein one of said applicators is adapted for applying one part of the two-part adhesive to one side of each page moving along the path and the other applicator is adapted for applying the other part of the two-part adhesive to the other side of each page. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus comprising: 
       a page conveying path adapted for unstacked pages to be conveyed therealong so that each page, while being conveyed along the entire path, has only one edge which constitutes a leading edge and only one edge which constitutes a trailing edge,  
       a print head located adjacent the path for printing on pages moving along the path, and  
       at least one adhesive applicator to apply binding adhesive to said pages moving along the path and configured to contact the pages and to be movable at a speed substantially equal to a speed at which the pages are conveyed along the path.  
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the at least one adhesive applicator is pivotally mounted adjacent the path. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the at least one adhesive applicator is a roller.